"'Desperate' commuters on Southern trains are considering a fare strike and will hold a demonstration at Victoria station tomorrow in a "show of anger". Hundreds of people have expressed an interest in the rush hour demonstration, scheduled for 5.30pm, claiming lives are being "ruined" by the company's service."
What do we want - Southern Trains When do we want it - 18.00, calling at Clapham Jct, East Croydon, Redhill and Gatwick Airport
Nationalisation of Southern Trains is the answer. Corbyn is the man.
Nationalisation and then rolling over to the unions?
Nationalisation is banned under EU law. It won't be post Brexit.
Not true AIUI. A return to BR would be: the network and services have to be separate. However there is nothing preventing the separate service(s) and network companies both being in state or part-state hands.
@georgeeaton: Labour NEC members tell me they think they can keep Corbyn off the ballot - if vote is secret.
I think if they succeed in keeping him off the ballot there will be problems. If they let him on the ballot there will be problems. It seems to me there is no way this ends well or cleanly.
If they are going to try to kill Corbyn off on a procedure which isn't even clear, then they risk leaving the door open to McDonnell, who might have a shot at the nomination.
That would be just as bad, like voting in Ernst Rohm.
Though Eagle beat McDonnell in the last members' poll, even if she was trailing Corbyn
I would vote McDonnell ahead of Eagle.
No you wont the PLP will not allow it.
Have you not seen the new rule, anyone with a first name begining with J is not eligible
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
@georgeeaton: Labour NEC members tell me they think they can keep Corbyn off the ballot - if vote is secret.
I think if they succeed in keeping him off the ballot there will be problems. If they let him on the ballot there will be problems. It seems to me there is no way this ends well or cleanly.
If they are going to try to kill Corbyn off on a procedure which isn't even clear, then they risk leaving the door open to McDonnell, who might have a shot at the nomination.
That would be just as bad, like voting in Ernst Rohm.
Though Eagle beat McDonnell in the last members' poll, even if she was trailing Corbyn
I would vote McDonnell ahead of Eagle.
I will even vote Maria Eagle ahead of Angela Eagle. Just kidding !
Please, can the captains/managers just agree that the end of the 90, we go straight to penalties? 30 minutes of fannying around as people wonder about what number penalty they will be taking adds nothing to the spectacle.
1998 World Cup had the "Golden Goal" - the team wot scores first in extra time wins!
It was awful. Both teams were terrified of conceding and played extremely defensively.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Good welcome comrade.
All you need now is an inspiring candidate
Or a new rule to exclude anyone on the left of the PLP from the ballot
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
I left the Party in March 2003 and rejoined in 2007.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
That wasn't a high point either. However, I've stayed because I still think the party is necessary. I was against the Iraq war btw and vocally so within the party.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
I left the Party in March 2003 and rejoined in 2007.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
That wasn't a high point either. However, I've stayed because I still think the party is necessary. I was against the Iraq war btw and vocally so within the party.
We're not here for the fun of it, that’s for sure.
All this talk of prioritising winning power does make me smile in the wake of Brexit. Farrage and the BOO mob never got within a country mile of winning power in any parliamentary sense. They wielded political pressure to devastating effect. Political pressure groups just over turned half a century of entrenched political, economic and cultural policy. That is real political power and it is there for the taking for those on the Left. If I was that way inclined I would campaign exclusively on building more council houses for WWC on the not unreasonable basis that it was a birthright paid for in blood in 2 ww that has been ripped away from them.
@JohnnyCov: woah "According to one Cabinet minister, Leadsom now has to “prove she can take the heat or get back to the kitchen” https://t.co/HIL55B779T
Portugal! YES! Cheers for our oldest ally. Brilliant sporting weekend. Scottish win in Mens Singles. British win at the Grand Prix. France lose in the final.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Winning power would be good but there is no evidence from the current coup attempts, the Remain campaign or the last leadership election that any of the plotters has the slightest idea how to go about it.
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
Interesting but he lives in London which has a significantly higher average income and cost of living than the nation as a whole and is an arts graduate which explains his situation a little. If he moved out to Kent or Essex he would get more bang for his buck and could still commute to the big city for work and leisure
He could have undertaken post graduate training, got a proper job, but he has fooled himself that he is earning a living as a writer. Plenty of my friends did the same in their twenties, then took opportunities for training/development. Almost all of them are now earning very decent livings in publishing/education/Civil Service etc.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Good welcome comrade.
All you need now is an inspiring candidate
Or a new rule to exclude anyone on the left of the PLP from the ballot
All this talk of prioritising winning power does make me smile in the wake of Brexit. Farrage and the BOO mob never got within a country mile of winning power in any parliamentary sense. They wielded political pressure to devastating effect. Political pressure groups just over turned half a century of entrenched political, economic and cultural policy. That is real political power and it is there for the taking for those on the Left. If I was that way inclined I would campaign exclusively on building more council houses for WWC on the not unreasonable basis that it was a birthright paid for in blood in 2 ww that has been ripped away from them.
And yet if the Tories didn't have an appealing brand and leader Brexit wouldn't have been deliverable as Ed and Ed would have won Downing Street and we wouldn't have had a referendum.
Leadsom is a repackaged female version of IDS. May is a modern version of Mrs Thatcher.
All this talk of prioritising winning power does make me smile in the wake of Brexit. Farrage and the BOO mob never got within a country mile of winning power in any parliamentary sense. They wielded political pressure to devastating effect. Political pressure groups just over turned half a century of entrenched political, economic and cultural policy. That is real political power and it is there for the taking for those on the Left. If I was that way inclined I would campaign exclusively on building more council houses for WWC on the not unreasonable basis that it was a birthright paid for in blood in 2 ww that has been ripped away from them.
Don't Labour want more than being a pressure group that, after decades, might get one thing it wants (and depending on the type of Brexit we get, they might be almost as mad about regardless)? Don't they have a duty to the people they want to help to seek power to provide a range of specified policies to help them?
There seems to be a split even in the far left at present, between those who want to write off parliamentary democracy, and those who think, rightly or wrongly, that they can win a majority in parliament if they have Corbyn as leader. I think the latter is unlikely, but it is a much more respectable position at least.
@georgeeaton: Labour NEC members tell me they think they can keep Corbyn off the ballot - if vote is secret.
I think if they succeed in keeping him off the ballot there will be problems. If they let him on the ballot there will be problems. It seems to me there is no way this ends well or cleanly.
If they are going to try to kill Corbyn off on a procedure which isn't even clear, then they risk leaving the door open to McDonnell, who might have a shot at the nomination.
That would be just as bad, like voting in Ernst Rohm.
Though Eagle beat McDonnell in the last members' poll, even if she was trailing Corbyn
I would vote McDonnell ahead of Eagle.
I will even vote Maria Eagle ahead of Angela Eagle. Just kidding !
@JohnnyCov: woah "According to one Cabinet minister, Leadsom now has to “prove she can take the heat or get back to the kitchen” https://t.co/HIL55B779T
I wonder which shitty Cabinet minister that could have been.
If BR had had the £5 billion a year subsidy that this lot get rather than the less than one billion a year they got things would have been somewhat different.
This is slightly disingenuous. The current figures include exceptional items such as Crossrail: if they are stripped out, the current network grant to NR is £3.8 billion. At today's prices, BR often received grants of around £2 billion.
In addition, train operating companies are also returning money to the government - £802 million (*) in 2014/5, partially offsetting those grants.
Since those days, passenger numbers have more than doubled. Hence, the amount spent in the network grant per passenger has not increased too much, if at all.
So we are getting more passengers, with better trains, on an expanding, modernised network. Britain's railways have never been in better shape (**). What's to complain about?
(*) Nearly half of which was from South West Trains. (**) There are problems with freight, given the massive decrease in trainload coal, which was the whole reason many railways were created.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Good welcome comrade.
All you need now is an inspiring candidate
Or a new rule to exclude anyone on the left of the PLP from the ballot
Amusing, but of course they had a rule to, in effect, exclude anyone on the left of the PLP, they just decided to ignore it and are now up shit creek, as they see it.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Winning power would be good but there is no evidence from the current coup attempts, the Remain campaign or the last leadership election that any of the plotters has the slightest idea how to go about it.
The decision is whether a Labour leader needs to command the confidence of the party's MPs. If members decide not, then they are saying there are more important things than being in government. That's a perfectly respectable position, just not one I agree with.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Good welcome comrade.
All you need now is an inspiring candidate
Or a new rule to exclude anyone on the left of the PLP from the ballot
Amusing, but of course they had a rule to, in effect, exclude anyone on the left of the PLP, they just decided to ignore it and are now up shit creek, as they see it.
If so, does that mean every Conservative paper is supporting her?
Technically most papers are supporting May but plenty of columnists back Leadsom, Heffer came out for her in the Sunday Telegraph today and Hitchens was very critical of May in the Mail on Sunday
I think Kevin is entirely wrong. I'm not yet committed to vote for any candidate, since I'd like to give space for the candidates to say what they stand for and I do see the difficulties in the current situation. But I would not bother to take part in an election where the currently elected leader was excluded. I'd see the result as illegitimate and would not regard the winner as the party leader. I suspect most members would feel the same. A winning challenge is one thing. A non-contest is something else, and ould merely shift the battle into further rounds in the NEC and the conference.
It would also fail to address the basic issue: does the party accept that it's time to change from Corbyn to a new leader? The challengers can only hope to win in any real sense if they actually *win the vote*.
Can you tell us a bit more about the process assuming Corbyn decides to fight on? What's involved in taking control of the NEC, and what moves could his supporters make at the conference?
@JohnnyCov: woah "According to one Cabinet minister, Leadsom now has to “prove she can take the heat or get back to the kitchen” https://t.co/HIL55B779T
I wonder which shitty Cabinet minister that could have been.
I have read the Telegraph article and it is sympathetic to Andrea Leadsom but also indicates that she has been so upset by the furore reducing her to tears and feeling hurt that the question arises that if she buckles under the first controversy she really is not ready yet to be PM
Indeed I think it would be cruel to put her into that position
Interesting actually that the press are all declaring early. Not standard practice is it? They must be really concerned about the possibility of Leadsom that they don't want her to get a sniff.
All this talk of prioritising winning power does make me smile in the wake of Brexit. Farrage and the BOO mob never got within a country mile of winning power in any parliamentary sense. They wielded political pressure to devastating effect. Political pressure groups just over turned half a century of entrenched political, economic and cultural policy. That is real political power and it is there for the taking for those on the Left. If I was that way inclined I would campaign exclusively on building more council houses for WWC on the not unreasonable basis that it was a birthright paid for in blood in 2 ww that has been ripped away from them.
And yet if the Tories didn't have an appealing brand and leader Brexit wouldn't have been deliverable as Ed and Ed would have won Downing Street and we wouldn't have had a referendum.
Leadsom is a repackaged female version of IDS. May is a modern version of Mrs Thatcher.
May is a female version of Major. Major, at least, surprised us with Edwina !
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
Can I ask are most Labour members pacifists? Or would they be willing to vote for some wars like Falklands?
@georgeeaton: Labour NEC members tell me they think they can keep Corbyn off the ballot - if vote is secret.
I think if they succeed in keeping him off the ballot there will be problems. If they let him on the ballot there will be problems. It seems to me there is no way this ends well or cleanly.
If they are going to try to kill Corbyn off on a procedure which isn't even clear, then they risk leaving the door open to McDonnell, who might have a shot at the nomination.
That would be just as bad, like voting in Ernst Rohm.
Though Eagle beat McDonnell in the last members' poll, even if she was trailing Corbyn
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
But not when Blair started an illegal war? That was my moment of wobble and when my other half quit and joined the Greens.
Can I ask are most Labour members pacifists? Or would they be willing to vote for some wars like Falklands?
Virtually all Labour members supported Bosnia and Kosova. Would have supported Rwanda.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
Interesting but he lives in London which has a significantly higher average income and cost of living than the nation as a whole and is an arts graduate which explains his situation a little. If he moved out to Kent or Essex he would get more bang for his buck and could still commute to the big city for work and leisure
He could have undertaken post graduate training, got a proper job, but he has fooled himself that he is earning a living as a writer. Plenty of my friends did the same in their twenties, then took opportunities for training/development. Almost all of them are now earning very decent livings in publishing/education/Civil Service etc.
Disclaimer: none of them are in London.
Indeed, most arts grads need to do post graduate training in some form to get a reasonable career
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Member for more years than I care to admit. Commie(not card carrying) in my youth, torn between supporting Corbyn because I agree with many of his policies and wanting Labour to get back into power. Will be a tough decision when time comes.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
Interesting but he lives in London which has a significantly higher average income and cost of living than the nation as a whole and is an arts graduate which explains his situation a little. If he moved out to Kent or Essex he would get more bang for his buck and could still commute to the big city for work and leisure
I agree, in fact I'd recommend moving out of the south-east altogether. The standard of living is far higher in most other regions of England simply because they aren't so congested.
If Corbyn's not on the ballot, it's entirely likely the ballot will be "won" by spoilt papers, leading to an even deeper farce.
And if he is on the paper, he stays. I can even imagine him staying on after a GE wipeout.
It's either going to have to be SDP2, or a funny-tipped umbrella or something.
If Corbyn wins Labour GE performance will not be a relevant means of judging a leader's performance as the party will essentially become an extra-Parliamentary entity that may or may not have enough MPs to form the opposition.
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Labour will split whichever way you look at it. If there was PR, it would not even have mattered. The problem is when we are in power, we did not do anything about it and the HoL.
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Labour will split whichever way you look at it. If there was PR, it would not even have mattered. The problem is when we are in power, we did not do anything about it and the HoL.
Yep, that's fair. This is really about who keeps the Labour name. I'd prefer it to be the PLP, but expect it will be the hard left.
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Which is why the Tories will unite behind the boundary changes and reduction of MPs to 600. Every constituency (bar one) will be redrawn and have to reselect their candidates for all parties.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
I have read the article and am not entirely sure what the complaint is. I understand he lives in an area he finds slightly unpleasant and is disappointed with his standing in life. But consider:
a) his parents gave him his deposit b) he owns a flat in London (he makes no mention of a mortgage: I'll assume he has one, albeit small as I don't think he could get a big one on a freelance salary) c) he has a wife who doesn't work d) he has one child e) he bought the flat before house prices went ballistic f) he's in his late 30's
I'll assume he bought his flat circa 2005. He doesn't mention sharing bedrooms, so it's two-bed. So he has a two-bed council flat in London: I'd guess he bought it for £150K, his dad's deposit was £50K[1], his mortgage was about £100K, and he's paid off about £25K in the ten years.
It's now 2016. His flat is worth (pre-Brexit!) about £250K. So he has positive equity around £170K. He can sell his flat, port his mortgage, and buy a 1-bed house or a 2-bed flat in a far-better neighbourhood in Thamesmead (Essex), Slough/Reading (Berks/Bucks), or Kent, or whatever. I assume that as he is a freelance writer, he doesn't have to live in London nor commute.
So he does have the capability to solve his dilemma.
[1] Normal people may look on aghast at a grown man accepting £50K as a gift from a parent without even trying to pay it back, but I have discovered to my amazement that this is unexceptional. The middle-classes have a different view of money than others.
I think Kevin is entirely wrong. I'm not yet committed to vote for any candidate, since I'd like to give space for the candidates to say what they stand for and I do see the difficulties in the current situation. But I would not bother to take part in an election where the currently elected leader was excluded. I'd see the result as illegitimate and would not regard the winner as the party leader. I suspect most members would feel the same. A winning challenge is one thing. A non-contest is something else, and ould merely shift the battle into further rounds in the NEC and the conference.
It would also fail to address the basic issue: does the party accept that it's time to change from Corbyn to a new leader? The challengers can only hope to win in any real sense if they actually *win the vote*.
I think Nick is right about the politics here, however the disputed wording of the rules is interpreted.
But, putting yourself in the shoes of a 'plotter', the strong possibility that the contest might be seen as illegitimate has to be balanced against the alternative, namely that Corbyn gets re-elected. It's a choice between a civil war where your side ends up holding the reins of power and the other side are left fuming and dispossessed, or a civil war where your side loses and has no choice but to split off and form another party - an option which many see as tantamount to political suicide. There are no good options.
In practice I guess you get all three: Some people will stay and fight on, some will just give up, others will defect to a new party which being run by the left will presumably split into several warring factions that proceed to fight each other for the next decade.
The last part it where there's an assymetry, because a split from the centre would probably hold together and take a serious chunk of votes, whereas a split from the left would choke itself to death on its own shoelaces.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
I have read the article and am not entirely sure what the complaint is. I understand he lives in an area he finds slightly unpleasant and is disappointed with his standing in life. But consider:
a) his parents gave him his deposit b) he owns a flat in London (he makes no mention of a mortgage: I'll assume he has one, albeit small as I don't think he could get a big one on a freelance salary) c) he has a wife who doesn't work d) he has one child e) he bought the flat before house prices went ballistic f) he's in his late 30's
I'll assume he bought his flat circa 2005. He doesn't mention sharing bedrooms, so it's two-bed. So he has a two-bed council flat in London: I'd guess he bought it for £150K, his dad's deposit was £50K[1], his mortgage was about £100K, and he's paid off about £25K in the ten years.
It's now 2016. His flat is worth (pre-Brexit!) about £250K. So he has positive equity around £170K. He can sell his flat, port his mortgage, and buy a 1-bed house or a 2-bed flat in a far-better neighbourhood in Thamesmead (Essex), Slough/Reading (Berks/Bucks), or Kent, or whatever. I assume that as he is a freelance writer, he doesn't have to live in London nor commute.
So he does have the capability to solve his dilemma.
[1] Normal people may look on aghast at a grown man accepting £50K as a gift from a parent without even trying to pay it back, but I have discovered to my amazement that this is unexceptional. The middle-classes have a different view of money than others.
Inheritance tax makes paying it back silly (dependent on the level of parental wealth, obviously).
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Which is why the Tories will unite behind the boundary changes and reduction of MPs to 600. Every constituency (bar one) will be redrawn and have to reselect their candidates for all parties.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She already had the conspiracy theorist 'remainstream media' crowd - she could still get people who might have disagreed with her comments but feel sorry that people have gone overboard attacking her.
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
People were worried about Cameron and Osborne trying to walk onto Labour territory during the Corbyn years - it's quite possible even if May wins, no certainty, that events conspire to prevent her taking advantage in such a fashion even if she intends to.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Only the Tory party can stand up to big business, Labour can't because they are seen as anti business.
If BR had had the £5 billion a year subsidy that this lot get rather than the less than one billion a year they got things would have been somewhat different.
This is slightly disingenuous. The current figures include exceptional items such as Crossrail: if they are stripped out, the current network grant to NR is £3.8 billion. At today's prices, BR often received grants of around £2 billion.
In addition, train operating companies are also returning money to the government - £802 million (*) in 2014/5, partially offsetting those grants.
Since those days, passenger numbers have more than doubled. Hence, the amount spent in the network grant per passenger has not increased too much, if at all.
So we are getting more passengers, with better trains, on an expanding, modernised network. Britain's railways have never been in better shape (**). What's to complain about?
(*) Nearly half of which was from South West Trains. (**) There are problems with freight, given the massive decrease in trainload coal, which was the whole reason many railways were created.
The biggest complaint for me is the ownership structure by which European public owned railways are taking profits from our systems to subsidise their own. Although some British TOCs are beginning to branch out abroad, the reverse is more often true.
I really do not want them nationalised, but some reforms are needed.
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
I did resign when Corbyn won but I am going to rejoin to give it one last shot in the leadership ballot. If the members still want Corbyn then I'm done and I won't be back. Within a couple of years Labour will become like a bigger version of the SWP, totally ineffectual, endless sloganising masking total political impotence.
"Help! I’m falling out of the middle class I earn less than the median income, and far less than my parents. I should never have followed my dreams Henry Jeffreys"
Interesting but he lives in London which has a significantly higher average income and cost of living than the nation as a whole and is an arts graduate which explains his situation a little. If he moved out to Kent or Essex he would get more bang for his buck and could still commute to the big city for work and leisure
I agree, in fact I'd recommend moving out of the south-east altogether. The standard of living is far higher in most other regions of England simply because they aren't so congested.
Yes, I lived in Herefordshire for a few years in my last role and very pleasant it was too on the whole although without the buzz of London. I now live in Essex and commute to London. As a writer as has been suggested he could move anywhere
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Where's the official opposition to this one-party state to come from ... the House of Lords?!
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
I agree but there must be a real risk to her health and ability to cope with the intense scrutiny she will come under.
As Eric Pickles said today that if she gets in a mess with her first interview with a journalist how on earth would she cope with Putin
O/T Keiran rightly identifies that you cannot govern without the support of MP's. In which case the membership clearly needs to have a more prominent role in the selection of candidates.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
If Corbyn wins there will undoubtedly be rule changes that will enable mandatory reselections and Labour will split.
Which is why the Tories will unite behind the boundary changes and reduction of MPs to 600. Every constituency (bar one) will be redrawn and have to reselect their candidates for all parties.
Are you sure Tory MPs want that?
There will be enough retirements to sort it out, with a kick upstairs to the red benches for anyone who fancies being difficult or ends up genuinely squeezed out. An analysis reported on here after the last election suggested the changes are worth a dozen seats to the Tories, which would have given them a much more workable majority on the same vote shares last year.
Another complication will be the MEPs, 19 of whom are about to be made redundant. One assumes that the likes of Dan Hannan will be found safe Parliamentary seats should they want them.
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Time will tell if May actually will DO anything to curb big businesses, or if she's just throwing out a bit of empty rhetoric.
Let's not forget, it was barely six months ago that Cameron and Osborne were throwing out a bit of token guff about being "compassionate Conservatives", at the very same time they were trying to cut tax credits and introduce a Wheelchair Tax - both policies which were too right-wing even for The Sun.
My CLP has about 600 members, the best part of 400 have joined last 12 months. They seem to come from all walks and ages. They are enthusiastic but almost entirely Corbynites. The 200 or so who had been around for yonks are older and more moderate. I am not sure the two see eye to eye on many policies.If Labour could find a way of marrying the two we would have a formidable party.I am not as pessimistic as some that the party will split, perhaps a few MPs.will peel off. This is why we need an open and honest election and whoever wins the rest of us will get behind him or her.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
I agree but there must be a real risk to her health and ability to cope with the intense scrutiny she will come under.
As Eric Pickles said today that if she gets in a mess with her first interview with a journalist how would on earth would she cope with Putin
Look she is not going to win, she will do her bit for the next two months, do the debates (and she did OK in the referendum debates) and then get her 30-35% of the members' vote and then become Business Secretary if she is lucky or return to the backbenches if she is unlucky and that will be that. I think she can survive two months without having a stroke
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
I agree but there must be a real risk to her health and ability to cope with the intense scrutiny she will come under.
As Eric Pickles said today that if she gets in a mess with her first interview with a journalist how on earth would she cope with Putin
Oh please... I think what you're really afraid of is that she'll rise to the occasion.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
Just noticed - both May and Leadsom have the mandate to take us out of the EU. Neither will have the power to decide on the actual trade deal without full cabinet agreement and a vote in the HOC
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She already had the conspiracy theorist 'remainstream media' crowd - she could still get people who might have disagreed with her comments but feel sorry that people have gone overboard attacking her.
Yes, crying is underestimated in politics, Hillary Clinton won the 2008 NH primary because she cried
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Good riddance. They can f uck off now.
You sound very bitter
Frustrated that we have this internal strife when Labour should be putting the Tories to the sword.
Inheritance tax makes paying it back silly (dependent on the level of parental wealth, obviously).
Fair enough, but parents get old and frail and will need the money. This isn't the 50's when people dropped in their 60's - these days they will last into their 80's/90's and their latter years will require a shedload of care and that care will cost.
My CLP has about 600 members, the best part of 400 have joined last 12 months. They seem to come from all walks and ages. They are enthusiastic but almost entirely Corbynites. The 200 or so who had been around for yonks are older and more moderate. I am not sure the two see eye to eye on many policies.If Labour could find a way of marrying the two we would have a formidable party.I am not as pessimistic as some that the party will split, perhaps a few MPs.will peel off. This is why we need an open and honest election and whoever wins the rest of us will get behind him or her.
But they won't.
Momentum is so entrenched now that if Corbyn stays in place, they will use their power to force out moderate voices
And if Corbyn loses, they will use their power to deselect those who opposed them.
This just doesn't end well for anyone.
A different leader would have to act immediately to kick out Momentum and any of their fellow travellers - otherwise they would never be secure.
My CLP has about 600 members, the best part of 400 have joined last 12 months. They seem to come from all walks and ages. They are enthusiastic but almost entirely Corbynites. The 200 or so who had been around for yonks are older and more moderate. I am not sure the two see eye to eye on many policies.If Labour could find a way of marrying the two we would have a formidable party.I am not as pessimistic as some that the party will split, perhaps a few MPs.will peel off. This is why we need an open and honest election and whoever wins the rest of us will get behind him or her.
I don't think you would see a couple MPs split off, either most will or they won't at all. It would be a complete waste of time for a couple of MPs to split off. SDP2.0 will fail like the first one, where they had only 23 splitters. They need to have enough MPs split to be official opposition and seen as successor party to Labour, or it's doomed from the start.
Oh, really ? Cut off the hand which feeds the Tory Party ?
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
Where's the official opposition to this one-party state to come from ... the House of Lords?!
No - the conservatives will appoint sufficient peers to ensure they are not stopped by an unelected HOL
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
Just noticed - both May and Leadsom have the mandate to take us out of the EU. Neither will have the power to decide on the actual trade deal without full cabinet agreement and a vote in the HOC
Yes but they will set the terms of the trade deal to be voted on by cabinet and the HOC. The ST reports today May is thinking of appointing David Davis to lead the Brexit negotiations
Nick P is surely on the money when he says a non contest (where Jez is excluded ) will be seen as illegitimate. If they are that sure Jez is a dud then defeat him openly.
It depends, though. If the result is that a lot of hard left entryists up sticks and join the Greens then it's hardly a tragedy. However, Labour does need to decide what it is and the sooner the better.
Yet hard right supporters like yourself aren't even prepared to join the party as there is mo inspiring Blairite candidate
Joined last week and now a proud member with the North Leamington CLP :-)
This is not about Corbyn anymore. It's about what Labour should be: a protest movement for its members or a parliamentary party that prioritises winning power.
Great to have you on board. I've been a member for over 20 years. Considered leaving when Corbyn became leader.
I did resign when Corbyn won but I am going to rejoin to give it one last shot in the leadership ballot. If the members still want Corbyn then I'm done and I won't be back. Within a couple of years Labour will become like a bigger version of the SWP, totally ineffectual, endless sloganising masking total political impotence.
Corbyn Labour is not interested in power. Victory and true socialism will be won from the street.
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She's too far in to step down now, the time to have done that was while Gove was still in the race. Unfortunately for Mrs Leadsom, her personal life as well as her policy positions are about to come under the scrutiny of the full weight of the British press. If she's lucky she will make it out alive to run again next time around.
My CLP has about 600 members, the best part of 400 have joined last 12 months. They seem to come from all walks and ages. They are enthusiastic but almost entirely Corbynites. The 200 or so who had been around for yonks are older and more moderate. I am not sure the two see eye to eye on many policies.If Labour could find a way of marrying the two we would have a formidable party.I am not as pessimistic as some that the party will split, perhaps a few MPs.will peel off. This is why we need an open and honest election and whoever wins the rest of us will get behind him or her.
I don't think you would see a couple MPs split off, either most will or they won't at all. It would be a complete waste of time for a couple of MPs to split off. SDP2.0 will fail like the first one, where they had only 23 splitters. They need to have enough MPs split to be official opposition and seen as successor party to Labour, or it's doomed from the start.
Corbyn will still not have the backing of the PLP, so the rules will be changed to allow mandatory reselections. That will result in dozens and dozens of MPs being deselected. But they'll still be MPs until the next GE. What do you think they'll do in that time?
@KeirSimmons: Andrea Leadsom says she has been crying... Extraordinary interview from a candidate to be British Prime Minister... https://t.co/QpV4g4Bl2k
She needs to be kind to herself and step down. She runs the risk of being overwhelmed as each day goes by.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
She cannot step down, she is the Leave candidate and May has to win the endorsement of the membership in a proper contest to have a mandate to pursue BREXIT and take the UK into the EEA
I agree but there must be a real risk to her health and ability to cope with the intense scrutiny she will come under.
As Eric Pickles said today that if she gets in a mess with her first interview with a journalist how on earth would she cope with Putin
Oh please... I think what you're really afraid of is that she'll rise to the occasion.
Not at all - I think she means well but anyone who is compassionate does not like seeing someone suffer which she clearly is and there is nothing wrong with expressing concern for her
Comments
And who would want to return to BR?
Have you not seen the new rule, anyone with a first name begining with J is not eligible
Just sayin'.....
All you need now is an inspiring candidate
Or a new rule to exclude anyone on the left of the PLP from the ballot
Didn't rejoin till 2015 though
https://twitter.com/darrengrimes_/status/752251480904757252
'Full English Brexit' FFS
@JohnnyCov: woah "According to one Cabinet minister, Leadsom now has to “prove she can take the heat or get back to the kitchen” https://t.co/HIL55B779T
Cheers for our oldest ally.
Brilliant sporting weekend. Scottish win in Mens Singles. British win at the Grand Prix. France lose in the final.
That might potentially sort the problem at both ends.
Or more it's just a bad pun - I can see it catching on, bad puns are an acquired taste!
Disclaimer: none of them are in London.
Leadsom is a repackaged female version of IDS. May is a modern version of Mrs Thatcher.
There seems to be a split even in the far left at present, between those who want to write off parliamentary democracy, and those who think, rightly or wrongly, that they can win a majority in parliament if they have Corbyn as leader. I think the latter is unlikely, but it is a much more respectable position at least.
In addition, train operating companies are also returning money to the government - £802 million (*) in 2014/5, partially offsetting those grants.
Since those days, passenger numbers have more than doubled. Hence, the amount spent in the network grant per passenger has not increased too much, if at all.
So we are getting more passengers, with better trains, on an expanding, modernised network. Britain's railways have never been in better shape (**). What's to complain about?
http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/18842/rail-finance-statistical-release-2014-15.pdf
(*) Nearly half of which was from South West Trains.
(**) There are problems with freight, given the massive decrease in trainload coal, which was the whole reason many railways were created.
Tomorrow's headline looks friendly:
"May: EU Exit will work for Britain"
If so, does that mean every Conservative paper is supporting her?
Indeed I think it would be cruel to put her into that position
And if he is on the paper, he stays. I can even imagine him staying on after a GE wipeout.
It's either going to have to be SDP2, or a funny-tipped umbrella or something.
Labour need to be very afraid. Their vacuum will allow May or Leadsom to walk straight onto their territory and in time see Labour MPs joining the conservative party
a) his parents gave him his deposit
b) he owns a flat in London (he makes no mention of a mortgage: I'll assume he has one, albeit small as I don't think he could get a big one on a freelance salary)
c) he has a wife who doesn't work
d) he has one child
e) he bought the flat before house prices went ballistic
f) he's in his late 30's
I'll assume he bought his flat circa 2005. He doesn't mention sharing bedrooms, so it's two-bed. So he has a two-bed council flat in London: I'd guess he bought it for £150K, his dad's deposit was £50K[1], his mortgage was about £100K, and he's paid off about £25K in the ten years.
It's now 2016. His flat is worth (pre-Brexit!) about £250K. So he has positive equity around £170K. He can sell his flat, port his mortgage, and buy a 1-bed house or a 2-bed flat in a far-better neighbourhood in Thamesmead (Essex), Slough/Reading (Berks/Bucks), or Kent, or whatever. I assume that as he is a freelance writer, he doesn't have to live in London nor commute.
So he does have the capability to solve his dilemma.
[1] Normal people may look on aghast at a grown man accepting £50K as a gift from a parent without even trying to pay it back, but I have discovered to my amazement that this is unexceptional. The middle-classes have a different view of money than others.
The last part it where there's an assymetry, because a split from the centre would probably hold together and take a serious chunk of votes, whereas a split from the left would choke itself to death on its own shoelaces.
Good riddance. They can f uck off now.
I do not think she meant to be cruel in what she said but is was naive and she really needs a cabinet position under Theresa May to further her career and take her out of the full on spotlight.
You sound very bitter
Only the Tory party can stand up to big business, Labour can't because they are seen as anti business.
I really do not want them nationalised, but some reforms are needed.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/07/i-cant-afford-to-lose-another-friend-to-this-referendum/
Where's the official opposition to this one-party state to come from ... the House of Lords?!
As Eric Pickles said today that if she gets in a mess with her first interview with a journalist how on earth would she cope with Putin
Another complication will be the MEPs, 19 of whom are about to be made redundant. One assumes that the likes of Dan Hannan will be found safe Parliamentary seats should they want them.
Time will tell if May actually will DO anything to curb big businesses, or if she's just throwing out a bit of empty rhetoric.
Let's not forget, it was barely six months ago that Cameron and Osborne were throwing out a bit of token guff about being "compassionate Conservatives", at the very same time they were trying to cut tax credits and introduce a Wheelchair Tax - both policies which were too right-wing even for The Sun.
Frustrated that we have this internal strife when Labour should be putting the Tories to the sword.
Momentum is so entrenched now that if Corbyn stays in place, they will use their power to force out moderate voices
And if Corbyn loses, they will use their power to deselect those who opposed them.
This just doesn't end well for anyone.
A different leader would have to act immediately to kick out Momentum and any of their fellow travellers - otherwise they would never be secure.
No - the conservatives will appoint sufficient peers to ensure they are not stopped by an unelected HOL